High-Res, High Tech: Timex's Breakthrough Run Trainer 2.0

Just in time for the 2013 race season, Timex debuted the sleek new IRONMAN Run Trainer 2.0 watch earlier this month — and thanks to our partnership, we got an early chance to take it for a run, bike, and swim at the Timex Multisport Team training camp. Using a screen that would be at home on a smartphone, the new gadget takes the triathlete's watch up a notch with an easy-to-use upgraded menu system, crisp display and logical interface that make monitoring pace, speed, and distance a breeze.

Water resistant to 50 m, the Run Trainer 2.0 offers lots of options for setting up and tracking workouts. The customizable, reversible screen can show either two or three lines of data at a time, and what you see — speed, pace, distance, even altitude — is completely up to you. A 100-lap chronograph and various interval timers help track any workout, and alerts keep you on pace, or remind you when it's time to hydrate or refuel. (The 2.0 can even get your pacing data during indoor workouts by syncing with ANT+ compatible foot pods.)

The original Run Trainer acquired GPS satellite coverage faster than any of Timex’s previous GPS offerings and this version offers that same technology. Like the older version, battery life is advertised at eight hours, which seemed accurate when we tried it out. And the 2.0 can store up to 15 workouts, but you’ll get the most out of your training by downloading your data to the accompanying online TrainingPeaks program.

The downsides? IRONMAN athletes will only be able to use it for the marathon in a full-distance race, since only a precious few people on the planet can finish in those charged-up eight hours. Also, while you can use the GPS functionality to monitor speed and distance while you’re training on the bike, it’s not compatible with ANT+ power meters or cadence sensors. (Timex’s Cycle Trainer 2.0 offers all of that and more, but all of us Timex fans are dreaming of a version of the triathlon-friendly Global Trainer with a screen like this one.)

Ultimately it’s that hi-res screen that we love the most: It makes the Run Trainer 2.0 a groundbreaking, next-generation GPS watch suitable for athletes at any level. Beginners will find it easy to use and will benefit from the pacing and HR information it provides. More experienced athletes will love the fact that they can get all the (run) training data they could ever want in a sleek package. It’s available through the IRONMAN Store for US $274.95 (with a heart rate monitor strap) or for $224.95 without.